My child’s bastard cough!!!

[Fruityb]

Posting for traffic.

My son gets coughs every now and then which basically means I get a shitty nights sleep and he goes all the way through while coughing in an irregular pattern which means at no point can I relax or ignore it. I have been awake this morning since about four am and have been in and out of his room - given cough gloop and a drink and absolutely no bastard difference has been made.

I have tried vicks on his feet, chest, back; basted him in the stuff. Covered his bedding in olbas oil, bowl of water under the radiator, hot water with vicks in. And still the bastard cough continues.

He is currently in our bed with dh still doing the dry pointless fucking cough: I know it’s not his fault but I have barely slept last night and I was awake in the night the night before listening to it. I can’t sleep in the spare room because I haven’t seen the bed in there for about three months as it’s just covered in DH’s shite.

Anything I haven’t tried? I’ve also used the calpol plug ins but as they are so stupidly expensive with no alternative I am loathe to buy them again. A quid a night for a room spelling like a spa that seems to dry him out even more is more than I feel like right now.

Apologies for the frustration here - I know it’s not his fault. He’s three and has been like this since birth - but I can still hear him coughing while I’m getting ready in the next room and I am so tense my hands are like claws. Writing this was hard. I teach a full day today including a bottom set who are horrific and I have been dreading that since about four am....

Try aerosol. I lived in italy and all mums used it. I'm sure you can buy it in uk. Its basically a mask with a steamer..they inhale...and it clears the bronchial airway. I know that its shit being kept awake...you have like a panic attack hearing them coughing at night. Been there!! Ley md see if I can send you a link .....

My son suffers the same and I have found that a daily anti histamine tablet does the trick, I don't know why, but it works!

Which anti histamine can I give him? I’ll go to Sainsbury’s after work!!

Viral induced asthma?

What does the GP say?
My DS was like this and was diagnosed with asthma and allergies just before his 3rd birthday. He was on regular inhalers until he was about 15, then he seemed to get a lot better.
He had RSV bronchiolitis at 4 months and was hospitalised. Research has shown that babies who get RSV are at greatly increased risk of wheezing and needing inhalers for around 10 years post infection.
Does anybody in the family smoke?
Any pets?

There was no particular one tbh whichever is in the cupboard at the time, pretty sure it would be supermarket own brand

He’s been at the doctors loads for it and every time all they say is olbas oil, prop him up, there’s nothing on his chest or lungs. It’s just a dry cough that he doesn’t stop with. It’ll pass as soon as it starts.

I’ll try anti histamine. Getting a doctors appointment round here is like rocking horse shit.

No one smokes. We have a cat. We’ve had the cat all the time and he’s outside 80% of the time.

Isn't a night time dry cough a sign of asthma? It certainly was for my DS. Go back to GP and ask them. He might need a steroid inhaler or ventolin.

Speak to the pharmacist and make sure you get something safe and the correct dose for such a young child.
I had to remove all soft toys from DS's room, damp dust and hoover every couple of days, use low allergy bedding (he is still allergic to anything with feathers so has to be really careful if staying anywhere that might have feather duvets or pillows) and remove the rug from his bedroom floor.
It was a pain but it did help.
He is allergic to feathers, house dust mites,tree pollen and grass.

You say you have had the cat all the time, but you also said DS has been like this since birth.
It makes no difference if the cat is outside most of the time, the fur and dander gets into the air in the house and stays there.
It could well be the cat IMO.

My son is similar, his is caused by post nasal drip due to an unknown mild allergy. He takes antihistamines about an hour before bed, it reduces his symptoms and makes him tired. When it’s bad he sucks a dummy to sleep and it falls out/I take it out once he falls asleep.

He’s had D&V this week, so every time he coughed he also shit himself, it’s been a fun week.

He’s having his breakfast now and every cough is just going straight through me - I have heard nothing else for about three hours.

I’ll give his bedroom a once over and speak to the pharmacist later. If I have another night like tonight I will be fucked tomorrow.

I’ll ring the gp this morning - if I can get through - and see if I can get him in. He has not stopped with this since he started.

I hoover up daily because of the cat and whatnot - I’ll give his room a once over later as well.

No specific advice on the cough (my almost 5 year old is prone to it too) but maybe clear the shite off the spare bed? Bag it in black bin liners if need be then at least you've somewhere to retreat to (with earplugs) and you and DH can take turns dealing with disturbed nights. Sometimes it's the only way.

Maybe you could get allergy tests privately?

He must be exhausted too. It is miserable for everyone.

My DD was exactly the same as you describe, right from being a a baby. It turned out it was asthma, and since she's been prescribed a brown inhaler every night, I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's literally changed our lives.

The cough still sometimes flares up when she has a cold or virus, but I find a dose of piriton helps calm it down when it does. When I asked the doctor why the piriton helps, she said that asthma and allergies are linked. Not sure I fully understand, but as long as we all get a good night's sleep!

To be fair he’s chipper as anything. He sleeps through it all - he only woke up because I went to get him into our bed to try desperately to get 20 minutes sleep in. I gave up and got up.

I have just found little spots on his feet so it may be he’s got hand foot and mouth again as it’s been going around. I seem to recall a cough last time. It has been absolutely none stop since he started.

Can you sleep in ds’s bed and let DH and DS who are coughing be in the main bed?

Ds has allergic asthma which started with a nighttime cough. With him it's dust mites so no soft toys etc. He gets a post nasal drip. He has anti histamine, montelukast and a blue inhaler plus saline nasal spray. I'd go back to the doctor.

Fruity damp dusting is good too.

It took a few trips to the Dr and one a and e admission to get my son diagnosed.

Ah you have my sympathy. DS (also 3) is the same. For day to day things you can buy we use:

• cool mist humidifier which sometimes is all he needs
• very recently tried an antihistamine - the piriton child liquid - on recommendation of GP which does seem to help (it dries up post nasal drip which can cause cough)

We also have from respiratory paediatrician:

• inhaler for viral induced wheeze
• montelukast for viral wheeze (just given when he’s coughing not all the time as he’s not diagnosed asthmatic and the side effects can be nasty in some kids)

Good luck today

Our 6 year old was diagnosed a few months ago with asthma and mild allergies - cat related. The dry cough was worse at night and if he was run down too. He’s coughed since a baby.
The gp who’d seen him for practically every appointment was adamant that “it’s viral, don’t worry about it” and made me feel like a hypochondriac and it was only on the last visit that he humoured me. I wish I’d asked to see another gp now.
Now R is like a different child now his asthma is under control.

It’s constant “it’s viral” and I’ve had him at the doctors five or six times: I don’t always take him as I don’t want to feel like I’m wasting their time! He’s still coughing now. I’m home with him so have had to sort five lessons cover work - the joys of teaching!

I’m ringing them shortly - let the appointment roulette begin! Worst case someone can call me. I need something as this isn’t right at all. He doesn’t have a temp and is fine in himself but just won’t stop coughing!

DD’s persistent, dry, nighttime cough turned out to be allergic asthma too. The GP recognised it as such straight away (we live in central London where it’s increasingly common due to pollution) and after trying a few different antihistamines and a reliever inhaler we settled in antihistamine nose spray and a steroid inhaler, which as a pp said, has been a game changer. The first night she used it the coughing stopped completely.

I understand your despair OP. I HATED hearing her cough in the evenings after we’d put her to bed, and if she got into our bed and coughed I’d lie there awake, seething with irritation and guilt.

How big is your son OP? DD is on the small side (9th centile) and our GP thought that the asthma might have been stunting her growth a little.